Emile Weaver, 20, of Clarington was arrested last week and indicted in Muskingum County on four charges, including Aggravated Murder. The legal action against Weaver stems from the April 22 death of a newborn baby girl proven to be Weaver’s daughter.

Local barn artist Scott Hagan began the painting of the Monroe County Bicentennial barns last week, with the barn of Wade and Donna Groves, located on SR 800 between Woodsfield and Antioch being the first.

The Switzerland of Ohio Board of Education (SOLSD) passed the third and final reading of a resolution to create a drug testing policy for the district’s athletes during a regular session meeting on July 22.

It doesn’t take a meteorologist to tell you that the county has had more rainfall than normal this summer. While things have normalized during the last two weeks, the first part of summer was drenched with inches of rain. That extra rainfall has impacted several activities in the area.

Monroe County has always been tied to the Ohio River. The county’s first settlers arrived here on the river. Commerce, especially in the county’s early years, thrived due to the markets opened up by river travel. It is appropriate then that the Ohio River Ferryboat Festival, to be held Saturday, Aug.

The inaugural Eleonore Rocks 5K race was well attended in Sardis on July 18, with many runners and walkers participating. Event organizer Adam Yonley reported that the event raised nearly $3,000, which will be enough to donate six rocking chairs to a hospital NICU in the near future.

The Monroe County Commissioners took yet another step towards the construction of a new jail during their regular session meeting on July 27. Commissioners passed a motion to submit a letter of intent to the Bureau of Adult Detention (BAD) stating plans to build a facility.

The Monroe County Chamber of Commerce welcomed new business Backwoods Hardscapes to the fold with an opening ceremony on Wed., July 22. The business, owned by Monroe County resident Brad Loch, focuses on bringing both beauty and practicality to yards and landscapes.

The Switzerland of Ohio School District (SOLSD) held its regular session meeting on July 22 at Woodsfield Elementary School. Highlighting the meeting was the passage of a resolution which will give physical education credit to athletes.

The Ohio River Ruckus 9 and 10 year old baseball all-star team has had a strong summer, bringing home several first place trophies. The team, consisting of players from River, Matamoras and Newport elementaries, most recently had success in Lowell and Marietta.

The Flags of Honor are pictured in front of the Beallsville American Legion Post # 768. The flags were on display as part of the annual Beallsville Remembers All Who Gave Poker Run on July 25. All proceeds from the event are donated to veterans for medical expenses, etc. Photo by Ashley Schumacher